My Friend, My Enemy
by Stewart Goodings

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They spent their childhood summers together near the Caspian Sea, but Nadezhda and Alla lost touch, and it was only twenty years later that Fate re-united them. By then, Alla had suffered a devastating loss of her family in the Russia-Chechnya war, and had been recruited for a mission of revenge. Their friendship re-kindled, the two women share a Moscow apartment and find their lives entwined in unexpected and dramatic ways. Can a friend also be an enemy? This is a story of how Nadezhda and Alla--’almost sisters’--confront secrets, family losses and terrorist misadventure, and discover the limits and ultimate sacrifices of their friendship.

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“This moving novel is not only the story of life-long friendship tested by political violence. It’s also a timely reminder of the Russian wars in Chechnya that, though largely forgotten in the West, are devastating precursors to our present crisis.” CAROLINE ADDERSON, author of A Russian Sister. “Poignant and passionate, thrilling and troubling! All are encompassed in Goodings’ book which brings to life the challenges of conflicting loyalties to family, friends and country. It also provides a window into the struggles within Russia during the internal conflicts with Chechnya and how they impacted the heroines of this story. MARY COLLINS PC, former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, and former advisor to WHO In Russia. “Stewart Goodings has mined his considerable international experience in crafting this powerful and timely story. At times tense and wrenching, at others, warm and humane. My Friend, My Enemy is a page-turner brimming with passion and paradox and an uncanny resonance with today’s geopolitical landscape. Bravo!” TERRY FALLIS, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. “My Friend, My Enemy deftly situates the brutalities of the Russian-Chechen conflict alongside the tendernesses of female friendship and love of family. It’s a compelling tale convincingly told and particularly enriched through insightful detailing of Russian and Chechen locations and customs. DES KENNEDY, novelist and essayist, author of Beautiful Communions. “Goodings portraits of two ‘almost sisters, a Chechen and Russian, are compelling, heart rending and ultimately uplifting. The stories of Alla and Nadezhda offer readers a timely glimpse into life on the hard end of Russian imperial policy in the early 21st century. The writing is engaging, the story fascinating, and the characters, almost all women, vividly portrayed. HOWARD STEWART, author of Views of the Salish Sea: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Change around the Strait of Georgia

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Stewart Goodings ia a retired public servant who studied history at Queen’s University and the University of Toronto. He has visited Russia many times over the years and is fascinated by the country’s culture, history and politics. Part of his inspiration for My Friend, My Enemy came from observing the Russian Government’s disastrous response to the Dubrovka and Beslan hostage taking events. Goodings helps to organize an annual literary festival on Denman Island and lives in both Comox and Denman Island with his partner Claire.

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Contributors

Author

Stewart Goodings

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